Terry’s favorite position on defense is unquestionably safety. The constant movement around the defense for UConn football the past few years was enough to cause Terry to seek an opportunity to play the position at NIU.

“The opportunity to play safety was taken from me at UConn, and that was what I wanted to do. That was one of my reasons for transferring,” Terry said. “I wanted to be a [defensive back], because I feel like that is my game. Coach [Derrick] Jackson and Coach [Thomas] Hammock and the guys, they all believed in me to be a DB here.”

When it comes to coffee, Terry said he’s not even the biggest fan. He just relates to the variety.

“[I] Just like to try all the different drinks. They have so many different options,” Terry said. “Every time I go there, I get a different kind of drink. Just to like test out … they have like 200 different options.”

[Kaleb Carter]

Defensive coordinator and safeties coach Derrick Jackson, who played the primary role in bringing Terry to the Huskies, was quick to laud the size being a plus that the safety brings to the table.

“He’s probably the only safety in the country that’s bigger than me,” the 6-foot-3 Jackson said with a laugh.

The versatility that Terry’s size and athleticism provides gives Hammock a reason to be optimistic as well.

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“He’s a jumbo athlete,” Hammock said. “I think when you’ve got those type of athletes, he’s all of 6-[foot]-3, 6-[foot]-4 and can run. We [are] looking at him ... giving us some flexibility. We may put three safeties out there because of the things he can do.”

After arriving for summer workouts in June, Terry gained quick recognition as a note-taker and observer.

“Having guys like Mykelti [Williams], Trayshon Foster, Trequan Smith, all of those guys, [Adam] Buirge, having those older guys, those mature guys who have been through game situations, and they know what they’re doing in practice, they know the schemes, the coaches, how they want it to be played and everything,” Terry said. “It really helps me with my game with being relaxed out there and really feeling more comfortable.”

Jackson, who is using a variety of looks in the secondary, often has been in Terry’s hip pocket early in fall practice to teach the intricacies of the new defense.

[Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com]

“He’s going to give us some flexibility in our scheme, because he can really play either safety position, because that is something that shows up from his days at UConn, is the ability to play the field safety to boundary safety, he can play down in the box,” Jackson said. “I think even with some of our sub-package stuff, he may eventually be a guy as he learns more defense that can become a weapon to do other things in our package to create stress because he has linebacker size, [defensive] end type size, speed of a secondary player, so he brings a lot of tools.”

The first-year defensive coordinator also has been pleased with Terry’s willingness to use his frame to his advantage.

“One thing I do like about the kid is there’s a physicality, which has shown up in our early parts of practice even better than I anticipated,” Jackson said. “He’s faced up some guys, got his hands and been physical with some tight ends. He has some God-given tools, and he has a willingness to use them.”

[Kaleb Carter]

So if it seems like Terry is taking on 200 different flavors with the Huskie defense this fall, that might just be the realization of expectations heaped upon him.

He said he’s focused on improving his coverage skills, but he’s also shown a comfort in stopping the run game.

Not that he’s complaining about having to do plenty.

"That’s what I’m here to prove. … I’m here to prove to them and everybody else in the country that I can play DB even at 6-[foot]-4, 225.”